Underscorer for typewriters



A. E. LASTINGER.

.UNDEHSCORER FOB TYPEWRITERS, APPL|CAT|0N men JAN.2I, 1919.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920 UNITED STATES ALBERT E. LASTINGER, 0F OOLTEWAH, TENNESSEE.

UNDERSCORER FOR TYPEWRITERS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

Application filed January 21, 1919. Serial No. 272,279.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT E. LASTINGER, a citizen of the United States, residin at Ooltewah, in the county of James and tate of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Underscorers for Typerwriters; and I do hereby 'declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to underscorers for typewriters, and more particularly to an attachment for a typewriting machine for underscoring letters simultaneously with the printing thereof.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide an underscoring attachment by means of which the letters of the words typed may be underscored simultaneously with the typing operation.

A further object is to provide an attachment of the character stated which may be readily applied to a typewriting machine of standard construction and may be quickly and easily moved into and out of operative position.

Another object is to provide a device which may be produced at relatively small cost and may be quickly and easily secured in operative position upon a machine of standard construction.

Further objects will appear from the detailed description.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of an underscoring device constructed in accordance with my invention as applied to a typewriting machine of conventional construc tion, the attachment being shown in operative position and the platen roll and frame of the typewriter being shown fragmentarily.

Fig. 2 is a section taken substantially on line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the underscoring device.

Fig. 4 is a detail side view of the type block adapted for use in connection with this device showing the relative position of the underscorer character when in operative position.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1.

The typewriter designated generally by A may be of any suitable or standard construction and includes a frame B upon which is slidably mounted a carriage carrying the platen roll C, the usual ribbon guide being positionedv in front of this roll and associated with the type bars and keys and associated elements. In applying my invention, I use a type block such as that shown in Fig. 4 comprising a body 1 carrying the spaced letter blocks, this body having an eX- tended end portion 1 which projects below the lower letter block upon which is mounted the first case letter, as is the common practice. When writing small or second case letters, the upper letter block 2 is adapted to strike the ribbon so as to imprint the character upon the sheet of paper passed about the platen roll, the lower letter blocks being utilized when using capital or first case letters, as will be readily understood.

In carrying my invention into effect, I mount a supporting arm designated generally by 3 at one side of the frame B of the typewriter. This arm is bent to provide an intermediate horizontal portion 3 at the outer end of which is provided a vertical standard 3*, the inner end portion of this bar being bent to provide a substantially inverted U-shaped member 3. The inner vertical arm 4 ofU member 3 is provided at its lower end, with a horizontally disposed head 5 on the inner face of which is formed an underscoring character in the form of a horizontally disposed rib or bar 6. The vertical arm 3 of the supporting bar 3 is rockably supported through a bracket 7 secured to the top plate8 of frame B, and through the top plate so as to permit arm 3 to be readily turned into substantial parallelism with the platen roll C or into a position substantially at right angles thereto. The arm 3 is so positioned that, when turned into parallelism with the platen roll, the underscoring character 6 will be positioned closely adjacent the ribbon guide and at the center thereof so that, when the type block 1 is movedinto operative position it will strike the head 5 thus causing the underscoring character 6 to make a line or underscore beneath the letter typed simultaneously with the typing thereof. When using small or second case letters, the portion of type block 1 intermediate the letter blocks 2 will engage the head 5 and when using first case letters the lower end portion 1 of this block 6 will engage the head. This device may be readily applied to any typewriter of standard construction'in the manner set forth, provideda type block employing spaced letter blocks and an end extension, such as described, is employed.

For securing the supporting arm 3 in adjustment, a squared locking head 9 is secured on the vertical element 3} thereof, this head being positioned between the bracket 7 and plate 8. A wire spring 10 has its outer end secured about a screw 11 which serves to secure the bracket to the plate, this spring being bent at an inclination about the outer arm of the bracket and extended so as to engage the head 9. This head is so positioned upon the vertical element 3" of the supporting arm that the spring 10 engages one face of the head when the arm is in operative position in substantial parallelism with the platen roll, the spring engaging the adjacent face of the head when the arm is turned through an arc of approximately ninety degrees so as to occupy an inoperative positlon at right angles to the platen roll. In this manner, the supporting arm 3 may be readily secured in either operative or inoperative position, being moved into either one of these positions manually.

While I have described my device as being attached directly to the top plate of the frame of the typewriter, it will be understood that in adapting it to typewriters of different makes, it may be secured in position in any suitable manner. It will be evident that there may be slight changes made in the construction and arrangement of the details of my invention without departing from the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all such variations, as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in this application in which a. preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What I claim is:

The combination with a typewriter including a frame, a platen carried thereby and writing keys mounted in operative relation to the platen, of a bracket connected with the frame at one side thereof, a horizontally extending arm provided with a depending pivot pin extending through the bracket to pivotally mount the arm, a rectangular block carried by the depending pin beneath the bracket, a spring element engaging the block to hold the arm in position, and an underscoring face carried by the free end portion of the arm.

In testimony whereof I affix in presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT E. LASTINGER.

Witnesses:

A. L. BAYLEY, J. W. PHILLIPS.

my signature 

